Why Your Favorite Italian Deli Meat Might Soon Be Hard to Find

Prosciutto may become challenging to find in different parts of the world due to a highly contagious and deadly disease spreading across pigs. 

In September 2024, swine fever peaked in northern Italy, with nearly 24 outbreaks in the Lombardy region. The hub of this epidemic spans almost 1,740 square miles and includes destinations like Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna, a hotspot for its well-known Parma prosciutto. 

While swine fever cannot be transmitted to people, its devastating nature can kill pigs and result in ecological harm, pork product shortages — this includes prosciutto, cured sausages, salami, ham, and more — and disruptions to trade and livelihoods. 

It was not until 2022 that swine fever appeared in parts of Italy. “The spread of swine fever has reached alarming levels, putting at risk not just the health of the animals but of the entire pork sector,” Ettore Prandini, the president of the trade group Confindustria, wrote in a recent letter to Italy’s agricultural minister.

Giovanni Airoli, a farmer in the northern Lombardy region, suffered the unfortunate fate of being a ground-zero-of-sorts for swine fever. Within a week of catching the disease, nearly 6,200 sows, piglets, and fattening pigs on his farm were slaughtered under strict protocols to prevent the spread of the sickness. “It happened to us despite applying all of the safety measures required. There was obviously a failure. We don’t understand what it could have been,” Airoli said, according to the Associated Press.

The Italian government is scrambling to establish effective protocols to deescalate swine fever. The Associated Press reported that they hired a new commissioner to tackle this issue of preserving and maintaining animal health. With this epidemic occurring, certain countries, like China, Mexico, and Taiwan, have already placed a ban on imports of pork products from Italy. For now, the U.S. will only continue imports from regions unaffected by the disease.

Certain pig farmers in the area, like Sergio Visini, hope that the spread of this swine fever will serve as a wake-up call to all producers to adopt antibiotic-free raising practices, meticulous sterilization techniques, and give their animals more space to roam. He told the Associated Press, “This outbreak can also turn into an opportunity to improve animal health and welfare.”